Buonocore and Stanton named 2014 captains

NEWPORT, R.I. – With spring ball quickly approaching, head coach Kevin Gilmartin has announced junior Dan Buonocore (Mahwah, N.J.) and sophomore Hayden Stanton (Wallingford, Conn.) will serve as the team captains for the 2014 season.

"We had the team and coaches vote and the two people that stood out as people that we wanted to represent us as captains of the football team were Dan and Hayden," remarked Gilmartin. "To us a captain isn't necessarily the best player, but the player that we think best epitomizes what a SRU football player represents - and these two clearly hit that image.  And we are proud to say that they will lead us on the field, in the weight room and in the community to the best of their ability."

Buonocore and Stanton each will serve as captains for the first time and have been integral parts of the Salve Regina football team since stepping on campus.

Buonocore, listed as a running back, has been a double threat for the Seahawks over the last three years. The junior is on pace to become the first player at Salve Regina to catch for 1,000 yards and run for over 1,000 yards in his career.The running back will enter his senior season fifth at Salve Regina in receiving touchdowns (9) and eighth in receiving yards (820). Buonocore has 1,146 rushing yards in his career.

The junior from Mahwah, N.J. is a two-time New England Football Conference Academic All-Conference honoree and earned a spot on the New England Football Conference All-Conference second team in 2013. 

Stanton in his brief time in a Seahawk uniform has become one of the top defensive players in the conference and the New England region. As the only underclassman on the New England Football Writers Association All-New England DII/III team, he is a key returner on the strong Salve Regina defense.

The 6-2 defensive lineman has played just two seasons for Salve Regina but has already made his impact on the record book. He is currently third all time for yards from sacks (97) and fifth for sacks (15.5). This past season, Stanton had 10.5 sacks for 64 yards and had 16.0 tackles for loss for 92 yards. Stanton was named the NEFC Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. 

Both Buonocore and Stanton are extremely active in all of Salve Regina football's community service efforts from the widely successful "Be the Match" bone marrow donor drive to the Seahawks involvement in Special Olympics.  Along side junior Frank Musco, Buonocore and Stanton accepted the Rhode Island Blood Center award for the successful drive hosted by the Seahawks last spring.

Buonocore, Stanton and the Seahawks open the 2014 season as they travel to Bridgewater State on Friday, Sept. 5.